On this week’s The Profit on CNBC, multi-millionaire and show star Marcus Lemonis is caught in an awkward conversation between Steve Sims of Bodhi Leaf and Jeff Courson, Bodhi Leaf’s Green Coffee Director.
From what we can see in the exclusive clip, Courson appears to be caught in a lie or at the very least, an unethical business situation.
For Californian coffee trader Sims, this gets personal.
We learn on The Profit that Sims has built his business via tight relationships with hundreds of international coffee and tea farmers.
But it is revealed there may be a HUGE conflict of interest as Sim’s employee, Jeff, is involved with a vendor who sells to the company.
Conducting a cross-interview, Lemonis asks Jeff a direct question: “So, there’s one farm that you guys have historically bought from that you’re [Jeff] actually dating the person that is selling it to you?
“It’s somewhat unheard of that it would jump that much that fast.”
After confirming that is true, Sims lights into Jeff in an escalating accusatory conversation that leaves Lemonis speechless watching the two go back and forth as the “story” unspools from Jeff while Sims analyzes every word.
Directly addressing Jeff, Sims says: “Aren’t we the company that sort of made her [coffee grower in question dating Jeff] in the US?
“I feel like we’re being taken advantage of a little bit, do you not?”
Their intense conversation heats up.
Sims says to Jeff: “Step in and make it right! You seem to know a lot more than your tongue and I called you out on this.
“You just now told me something I didn’t know like she already might have sold the coffee.
“Were you going to tell me this? What if we don’t have any El Salvador coffee in the next couple of months?”
In their business practice, The Bodhi Leaf team networks with farmers around the world, including in coffee hotspots in Columbia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, and Africa.
The Profit airs Tuesday at 10/9c on CNBC.